


Miscommunication

by blklightpixie26



Category: The Great Library Series - Rachel Caine
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-13 05:06:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20168635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blklightpixie26/pseuds/blklightpixie26
Summary: Miscommunication happens not only when you are not paying attention and forget things, but also when you speak two different languages.





	Miscommunication

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt for day 3 was LANGUAGES: Poetry and literature, original and printed text, secret codes and codexes… language makes the world go round, and makes our nerd hearts beat faster. If your story explores any of the above, this is a good day to post it. Of course my head goes use an actual language barrier. 
> 
> Thank you to blessedharlot for doing this event. I've loved every moment of it.

When a knock on the door came, Khalila thought nothing about checking on it. Glain had come back from duty and gotten in the shower. If anyone came to the house, it was normally one of their friends. The moment she laid eyes on Dario she knew something had happened though.

“I lost him.” he said defeatedly. 

“What do you mean you’ve lost him?” she asked leading him into the living room.

Dario sat down heavily, resting his head in his hands. “We were speaking about taking a holiday and everything was fine. When I mentioned going to see my family, he went quiet before refusing. He’s leaving me, I know it.”

Glain walked out of the hallway looking between them. “What is going on?”

“He thinks his losing Jess.”

Laughter bubbled out of Glain before she could stop it. “Our Jess. As in the same one, who threatened us all to secrecy when he and Dario first started seeing each other?”

Khalila glared at her “Glain.”

“All I asked is that we go see my family for our holiday and he flat out refused. It was as if I asked him to return to the dungeons.”

Glain shook her head, “You really are as blind as he thinks.”

“You know something.” echoed from Dario and Khalila. 

“Jess and I might have spoken after my afternoon training session.” Glain replied going into the kitchen to get some water before returning. “He needed to vent some frustration so I went out running with him.”

“Why did you not tell me when you arrived?”

Glain shrugged. “It wasn’t important.”

“It is very important. If he will talk to you instead of myself, what am I supposed to think?” Dario roughly dragged his fingers through his hair. “All I wanted to do was take my partner on a holiday where we could both relax.”

“You really think he can do that around your family?” Glain questioned staring him into the ground. “Tell me Dario. Do you remember the last time the two of you were around your family? If not let me remind you because I know a lot about that time frame. Jess was quite passionate when it came time to helping me do hand-to-hand combat training. You spent that holiday with your family and left Jess to figure it out on his own.”

Dario stared at her in confused amazement. “No. He was always right there.”

“Physically, yes he was there. Do you have any idea how hard it is for someone to be standing in a room and not be able to understand what is being said around them? What it feels like to know that everyone around is having a good time, but you are miserable yet cannot say it because it will hurt someone you love?”

“I. I don’t understand.”

“Jess is British, Santiago! You and your family are Spanish. When you and your family come together everything changes for everyone in the room. You revert back to speaking Spanish and don’t take into consideration anyone around you that might not.” Glain stated. 

Dario’s eyes closed he his shoulders slumped. He had never taken into consideration that Jess might feel awkward because of the language barrier. There had always been too much excitement that they were back together again as a family. “Dios mio, what have I done? He’s my everything and not once did he say anything to me about it.”

“He won’t either.” Glain replied “Jess isn’t the type of person to stand in the way of someone’s happiness. He would rather stand in a room and have no idea what people are saying about him, than to put a strain on your relationship and ruin the holiday.”

Khalila disappeared into the kitchen coming back out with fresh drinks. “You are still a new couple learning each other. Not everything will be perfect immediately.”

He rested his head back into his hand, shaking it. “I should have seen it. I made a promise to him that I wouldn’t brush him off the way his family did.”

A second set of knocks could be heard and Glain went to find out who was there. She smirked the moment she saw who was there. “Khalila is inside.”

“The other half?”

“Inside with her.” she opened the door enough to bring him inside then quickly closed it not needing any gawkers trying to get information.

He shook his head. “There are times I think I would have been better walking away when they started discussing breaking off their engagement.”

“Communication, Jess.” Glain shouldered him teasingly. “Language, words, you know those things that come out of your mouth when you open it?”

He mockingly glared at her. “Oh, you mean those things that you still haven’t mastered when it comes to the person you would love to keep?”

“Touche.” Glain started leading him to the other room. “In my defense I’m more nervous about how well religion and sexual orientation will combine.”

“You never know until you try.” Jess quoted back to her. 

Khalila’s gaze landed on him and a war of emotions passed through her eyes. Eventually, she stood up and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him. “He doesn’t know what to think.” she whispered.

“If he would learn to speak instead of assume, life would be a lot easier.” Jess whispered back to her and hugged her tightly. “I will apologize now for any fighting that occurs.”

The young scholar nodded and released him. 

Jess moved behind Dario resting his hands on the other man’s shoulders, his thumbs finding the tight muscles at the base of his neck and rubbing at them. “Looking for a different model, Peacock?”

Dario leaned into the touch before looking up at him “Amore. I. I thought you were gone.”

“Instructional session with a couple of the High Garda companies. Santi wants me to start showing them how to spot hiding places that the radicals are using which happen to be former smuggler domains.” Jess moved closer so that Dario could rest his head on his stomach. “Told you about that weeks ago.”

“I forgot.” Dario admitted quietly. “Everything blurred together and I thought you were leaving me.”

The former Garda shook his head. “Why would I be doing that?” he asked, though he had his own answers he wanted to hear Dario’s.

“You aren’t happy about my choice for a holiday. I know there are issues with my family, but I thought they had been worked through.”

“As long as you are happy, it shouldn’t matter.”

Dario shook his head “I want your happiness this time. Somewhere that you feel like you belong.”

“We go to see your family, because you don’t get to see them often.”

Dario’s fingers rested against Jess’ lips. “You aren’t comfortable there. My family can be a bit much, especially when they do not take the time to think about or realize that not everyone understands what is being said around them. We take this holiday for us and next time will be the trip to my family. It gives you and I time to work on your Spanish.”

Jess kissed his fingers. “Whatever you wish, Love.”

“My wish,” Dario stood up taking Jess into his arms. “is that you talk to me. Tell me when things bother you. I can’t fix something which I don’t know is wrong.” 

Jess rested his forehead against Dario’s. “We are a work in progress.”

Dario nodded a sly smile crossing his lips. “Deseo llevarte a casa y mostrarte a dónde perteneces y cuánto progreso podemos hacer.”

“You are doing it again, Peacock.”

Dario leaned in, his mouth against Jess’ ear. “I wish to take you home and show you where you belong and how much progress we can make.”

The soldier turned scholar barely held in a groan. “You torture me.” he kissed him softly. “Khalila. Glain. Thank you for your hospitality, but Scholar Santiago is needed at home.”

Khalila smiled. “You are both welcome anytime you are in need, my friends.”

Glain raised an eyebrow. “Remember what I said. Both of you.”

“You remember what we talked about also.” Jess replied to Glain as he led Dario out of the house and to their own home allowing Glain to have her own long overdue discussion.

**Author's Note:**

> Spanish translations (done via google translate so no guarantees):
> 
> Dios mio - My God
> 
> Deseo llevarte a casa y mostrarte a dónde perteneces y cuánto progreso podemos hacer - I wish to take you home and show you where you belong and how much progress we can make.


End file.
